keyframe
I *DO* feel that as a software company, they have, on occassion, consulted (and in fact, continue to consult) their customers with regards to the direction they are taking – but it's important that credit is given where it is due. SESI is making the decisions at the end of the day. Not the users. In fact, I would imagine that had SESI done a less kick-ass job balancing a long-term vision with today customer demands, we'd have a lesser platform to work on today.
Thanks for the vote of confidence. The development team here is always looking for ways to advance CG to the next level. Luckily the Houdini community is a great partner in this process and user requests offer a great springboard for their ideas. We actually take suggestions and ideas from forums and other discussions to help determine priorities then balance that with available resources to figure out what enhancements are best for each release. But if a developer has a great idea that isn't even on anyone's radar we aren't afraid to go for it.
What always amazes me is how the sidefx developers never look for the quick fix to a user problem but always solve issues in the most general way possible to provide a long term solution that offers something to all users. And to see many of these things happen in daily builds always amazes me.
Robert
PS - Katie - be sure to email me with your questions. It is nice to see you explore this aspect of how software companies work. Side Effects has worked hard to think differently in this area and new users often miss this while they focus on the latest and greatest features.
PSS - We have a PDF document that outlines some of our options regarding support which you can find here:
http://www.sidefx.com/images/stories/products/pricing/houdini_annual_upgrade_plan.pdf [sidefx.com]
Hope that helps.
